Much to my surprise, for the first time, I felt the USB setup was every bit the equal of AES/EBU in my system. I did not anticipate this huge leap in USB quality with the Platinum Starlight 7. This is having used many other premium USB cables. The reduction in hash, and the purity of the presentation is the best I have heard via USB in my system.

The self titled debut album from Hozier, while well recorded, does have a bit of a digital sheen at times. Much to my surprise, this sheen completely disappeared with the Platinum Starlight 7. There was more presence to the midrange, and a smoother lower treble region. Hozier’s mix of rock, soul, and alternative sounds familiar yet distinctly new. Tracks like “Jackie And Wilson”, ”Work Song”, and of course, the world wide sensation, “Take Me To Church”, were simply thrilling with the Platinum Starlight 7, more so than half a dozen other similarly priced cables I have previously used.

I used the Starlight 7 USB cable in my office system connecting first a SOtM sMS-100 server, then a Sonore microRendu server to a Simaudio 280D DAC. Both the SOtM and the microRendu (review forthcoming) have high quality, well engineered USB outputs, and I have achieved excellent sound with the USB cables I have on hand, but installing the Starlight 7 was really a “wow” moment, the kind that does not happen that often in reality.

Specifically, there was a level of clarity and liquidity to the system that set a new standard. I recently fleshed out my Alice Coltrane discography with some beautifully mastered titles from her heyday on the classic Impulse! label. I was taken aback by the spaciousness, and sheer scale of the music on such titles as A Monastic Trio, Universal, and Journey in Satchidananda. The presentation was simply magical, and even more impressive given these albums were released fifty years ago. The music is complex and layered, but seemed easy to unravel.

I also cued up some later period albums by the recently departed Prince. Overlooked gems like Planet Earth, Musicology, and The Rainbow Children draw more on rock, hard funk, and jazz influences than earlier work, and were a demonstration of how unlimited Prince’s talent really was. The system with the Starlight 7 in tow framed these albums with precision, and nuances in the mixes were easier to follow, and there was more coherence. Even I was surprised how much difference a USB cable could make in this regard.

Conclusion

Having been curious as to how Wireworld’s unique designs would perform in the real world, I finally got the opportunity to give them a good evaluation. I held them to a high standard due to the numerous positive user and professional reviews that are out there, and the fact that Wireworld enjoys a unique reputation among audiophiles. Their Gold Starlight 7, Starlight 7, and Platinum Starlight 7 AES/EBU and USB cables indeed did live up to my high expectations and actually exceeded them. The Platinum Starlight 7, for the record, is the best sounding USB cable I have had in my system to date.

The Gold Starlight 7 AES/EBU and Platinum Starlight 7 USB are not inexpensive by any means, but if you can afford them, and your digital gear is on par, they must be considered on a very short list if shopping for the best. The Starlight 7 USB may just be the sweetheart of the line, and in my opinion, is a great achievement in digital cables. Dare I say it is a bargain starting at $90. Please don’t take my word for it, go out and audition the cables. In the near future, I will be reviewing a full loom of Wireworld analog signal and power cables, and if the performance of the digital cables are any indication, I will again have high expectations.